May 6, 1497, Age of the Sea Circle
Today, the Ice Witch's ship finally reached the border between the Grand Line and the Calm Belt.
On the deck of the great ship, the crew had gathered to bid farewell to Orion, who had decided to attempt to cross the Sea King-infested waters despite the warnings of the pirates on board.
"Are you sure you don't need me to accompany you?" Whitey Bay said, looking at the little boy seriously. She wasn't a woman who didn't know how to return a favor, and if her savior asked her to accompany him to the Calm Belt, she would do so no matter the danger.
Orion smiled and shook his head. He would never allow Whitey Bay to take such a risk. After all, he was only making a one-way trip, and the pirate would have to cross the Calm Belt again to get back here if she accompanied him. Her place was in the Grand Line, and even if he wanted her to stay by his side, he knew that wasn't possible for the moment.
Orion could be a little lascivious, and perhaps even a bit possessive, but he would never stand in the way of his partners or try to keep them by his side when they wanted to be somewhere else. It simply wasn't his style. He had fallen in love with Whitey Bay not only for her beauty but for everything she was, and it would be illogical for him to try to change her now or force her to come with him.
Besides... They weren't a couple.
Orion couldn't help but tug at his hair every time he remembered what had happened.
Two days ago, after constant advances towards the pirate captain, she had agreed to let him into her room. Orion was completely ecstatic at the prospect of finally making the beautiful blue-haired woman his partner, but just as he was happily approaching Whitey Bay, who was looking at him seductively from the bed, his "Age Change" ability reached its time limit and dissolved, causing his body to revert to that of a child, right before her stunned gaze.
Actually, the ability itself didn't have a time limit, but Orion couldn't keep it activated for long periods of time because it was truly exhausting.
For the past few days, he had been gritting his teeth to maintain the transformation whenever he was in the presence of other people, so that no one would notice his 'true' age.
However, keeping the ability active for so long in this form had finally taken its toll, and just as his mind relaxed a little as he was about to realize his goal of establishing a romantic relationship with Whitey Bay, the ability dissolved, exposing his childlike body.
If that had been all, Orion might have gotten by with a little white lie, but not only did his ability fall apart, the great effort he'd been putting in up until that point to keep it active also caused him to lose consciousness.
During the time he'd been unconscious, a new tragedy had occurred.
Whitey, who was worried about Orion's sudden change of form, consulted with Kalifa, his traveling companion, and the innocent girl had told her bluntly that this was his true form!
As soon as Whitey Bay learned that she had almost slept with a little boy disguised as an adult, her mind nearly collapsed, and all the work Orion had done to convince her to be his wife was ruined in an instant. How could she, one of the most powerful pirates in the world, have a romantic relationship with a little boy?!
It was simply unacceptable! And the favorability that Orion had painstakingly built suddenly plummeted to a 'friendship' level.
When Orion awoke, he found the tragedy had already happened, and no matter how hard he tried to explain to Whitey that he wasn't actually a little boy, she didn't believe his words.
From that moment on, their relationship lost all ambiguity and became a purely friendly one.
Orion tried to declare his love for her several more times, but was utterly rejected by the beautiful pirate.
Now, Orion was about to enter the Calm Belt to return to the South Blue, and he felt great disappointment at having missed the opportunity to make Whitey Bay his wife.
However, he wasn't ready to give up. He had truly fallen in love with her at first sight, and he didn't want to give up on the possibility of her becoming his woman.
He looked at her earnestly and said solemnly:
"Whitey, you don't need to come with me. The Calm Belt is dangerous, and I don't want you to be in danger."
Whitey was slightly surprised by Orion's words, but she immediately smiled tenderly and reached out a hand, intending to playfully and affectionately pinch his cheek.
However, Orion dodged her 'attack'. He wouldn't allow her to treat him like a child, because then all would be lost.
He took a step back and continued.
"Your safety is very important to me, because I love you." Orion paused briefly, letting his words linger in the pirate's mind, and continued.
"I know you see me as a child now and have no intention of giving me a chance. But my feelings haven't changed. Whitey Bay, here and now, I declare that one day you will be my wife!"
For the first time since she had discovered that Orion was using an ability to camouflage his true appearance, Whitey Bay felt her emotions surge upon hearing Orion's words.
She had clearly decided to no longer consider the previous romantic situation, to forget everything, and to treat Orion as simply her benefactor. But the direct, forceful words, which no one had ever said to her, penetrated her defenses against her will and made her heart beat faster.
Deep inside, she too wanted to experience a passionate love. She wasn't happy with other people's gossip about her frigidity, and although she had embraced the nickname 'Ice Witch' she remained discontent with the image others had of her.
Partly because of this, she had been proactive in responding to Orion's amorous advances during the first few days they had traveled together and had almost become his woman.
Whitey Bay said nothing and looked at him in surprise, but Orion hadn't finished speaking yet and continued with his oath.
"I know very well that right now it's impossible for anything to happen between us, but I will come find you in the future, and I will show you that my love was not child's play!" Orion concluded solemnly.
The pirates standing around looked at each other in confusion, wondering if they had heard something they shouldn't have and were beginning to evaluate the possibility of escaping the place unnoticed.
Kalifa was covering her glasses with her small hands, but she could still see through her fingers. She was very agitated and murmured under her breath phrases like, "Is this sexual harassment?" and similar ones.
Whitey Bay remained silent for a long time, which seemed like an eternity, and finally smiled, took a step forward and approached Orion, who was in his child form, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.
Then she stepped back and tucked her hair behind her ear with her classic involuntary movement.
"Very well, I accept your promise, Orion. I'll be waiting for the day you appear before me once again, although I hope you'll be strong enough then to make me fall at your feet."
Orion breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Whitey hadn't rejected him outright.
This kiss on the cheek and these words from the pirate captain were the best outcome he could have currently, and he was truly happy with this outcome.
At least now, he had hope for the future.
Orion and Kalifa said goodbye to Whitey Bay, the Ice Witch, and her crew, and set out into the Calm Belt, beginning their journey back to Pacific Town.
Finally, after half a year of absence, it was time to return home.
............................
May 12, 1497, Age of the Sea Circle
Orion looked at the horizon with trepidation, alert for any danger that might suddenly emerge. He had been under immense mental strain over the past few days, and his nerves were strained by the precarious situation he faced. If it hadn't been for the presence of his "Space Door" ability, which allowed him to open a Pocket Dimension where he could rest peacefully and hide in case of danger, he would likely have perished during this journey through the Calm Belt.
While the Marine vessel had the camouflage provided by the Kairoseki and the ability to move in these windless waters, Orion was traveling alone, which made the situation tremendously difficult. He didn't have a crew to help him navigate, and he had to do all the work himself, which was a daunting task.
Of course, little Kalifa had offered to help during the voyage, but he had flatly rejected her and had forbidden her from stepping outside the Pocket Dimension during the journey through the Calm Belt. He couldn't risk her getting hurt due to a moment of carelessness.
When they said goodbye to Whitey Bay and her crew, Orion took out the large Marine ship he had stolen and stored in his inventory, thus beginning his journey through one of the most dangerous places in this world.
Because he couldn't use his 'Art Coating' skill to produce an object if he didn't know how it worked, Orion didn't attempt to reduce the size of the large ship to make it more maneuverable. He didn't know how the propulsion engine installed on the ship worked, and if he tried to reduce it with his skill, he wouldn't be able to reproduce its operation and would end up with a completely useless ship.
After all, one of the prerequisites for crossing the Calm Belt was having a propulsion method.
Orion considered purchasing the "Shipbuilding" skill, which would give him the knowledge to remodel the large ship with "Art Coating" and produce a functioning, smaller-scale ship, but the large amount of SP required to do so discouraged him.
Besides, his 'Art Coating' couldn't change the form of things made of Kairoseki. Even if he could make a functional smaller ship, he would have to manipulate the kairoseki manually to form the base of the ship and retain its camouflage.
Instead, he increased his Navigation skill to Level 3, which allowed him to navigate the large ship, albeit with difficulty.
During the voyage, he had being attacked by a Sea King several times, but luckily, he had maintained a high level of concentration while sailing and had managed to escape into his Pocket Dimension without any problems.
To make the voyage less tiring, he had decided to rest regularly in the other dimension, even at the cost of slowing down the journey.
After all, he couldn't leave the ship sailing on its own while he entered his Pocket Dimension. Not only did he run the risk of being attacked by Sea Kings, but also because his personal dimension didn't move with the ship!
This was something he had realized a long time ago, and it was the reason why he couldn't simply enter the Pocket Dimension and undo his "Age Change" ability to rest while traveling with the Ice Witch, which had eventually led to his collapse from fatigue at the climax with Whitey Bay.
Basically, once he entered the Pocket Dimension, he couldn't move beyond the confines of the small sphere. So if he entered it while aboard a ship moving at high speed, he would immediately be stranded in the middle of nowhere, while the ship would move away without him.
The situation was different if he were outside the Pocket Dimension. In that case, the people and things inside could travel without any problems, because the sphere was fixed to his position. If he moved, the sphere moved along with him.
Now, Orion was traveling at the highest possible speed, while his senses were extremely focused.
Interestingly, during these days, his Observation Haki had progressed much more than during his previous months of training, so perhaps this more "intense" type of training was more beneficial to him.
Suddenly, Orion sensed something approaching the ship at high speed from underwater!
He immediately opened a door in the air and entered the small alternate dimension, simultaneously saving the ship to the system inventory.
Just seconds after it disappeared, a large sea beast appeared where it had previously been, violently biting into the void. If he had delayed two more seconds, his ship would have been completely destroyed.
This was the kind of pressure he had been enduring throughout the journey through the Calm Belt, and he could understand why Whitey had tried to convince him to take another, safer route, right up to the last moment.
A bell rang in his mind, and a notification appeared on the system screen.
*Ding*
*Observation Haki has increased by 1 Level*
*You have improved through natural training. You have obtained 500 SP*
Orion lay down on the floor of the sphere, which was 'floating' in the air, level with the deck of the large ship, and smiled joyfully.
At least this perilous journey hadn't been all suffering. He had received a great reward for his efforts!
His Observation Haki was now at Level 1, and it was no longer that of a complete novice. Although he wasn't progressing as quickly as the protagonists of the stories he read in his past life, his progress had been steady, and he couldn't complain.
He knew he still had a long way to go, but if he continued to work hard, he would get where he longed for!
Orion took the opportunity to take a short break and started a video call with Shyarly, who told him about her life under the sea while he told her about his adventures in the Calm Belt.
Every time the little mermaid heard about the Sea Kings' ferocious attacks, her admiration for Orion grew deepened further. She was deeply curious about the outside world and the things her human friend told her about every time he went on an adventure.
Her life at the bottom of the sea wasn't very glamorous, especially since she'd gone to live with her brother Arlong, and she dreamed of going to the surface.
She'd once planned to go up to investigate and see the world, but was dissuaded by Orion, who told her it was too dangerous for her to venture to the surface.
Orion had heard from his master, Roger, about the horrible treatment Fish-men and mermaids received, and he knew that if Shyarly were captured by slavers, her life would be a nightmare, a tragedy.
For this reason, even though Orion spoke to her daily and told her interesting things about the surface, he always told her that the world was very dangerous and that she shouldn't venture to the surface.
He felt sorry for the little girl who was trapped beneath the sea and couldn't leave without fear of being captured and enslaved, so to lift her spirits a little, he had promised that when he was a little stronger, he would find her and take her to see the world, protecting her from any danger. The only condition was that she didn't go to the surface in the meantime, and this promise had become one of her most cherished hopes as she thought about the future.
After ending his video call with the little mermaid, Orion saw that the monstrous Sea King had disappeared, and he immediately returned to the Calm Belt and resumed his journey. It wouldn't be long before he crossed this dangerous stretch, and he wanted to do it as quickly as possible.
.............................
May 13, 1497, Age of the Sea Circle
Finally, after enduring great pressure for a week, Orion emerged safely from the Calm Belt, thus entering the territory of the South Blue. He still had a long way to go to reach Pacific Town, but now that the most dangerous part of the journey was behind him, it was only a matter of time before he could return home.
Relieved, he put the Marine ship into his inventory, and took out a smaller, more manageable boat. Then, he opened a door in the air, allowing Kalifa, who had been trapped in the other dimension, to finally return to the outside.
The girl jumped for joy under the autumn sun, celebrating the end of her days trapped in that tiny sphere!
Had she stayed there much longer, she feared she'd develop claustrophobia.
"Orion, are we in the South Blue now? Are we a long way from your home?" Kalifa asked excitedly.
Orion looked at their exact position on the map, sighed, and replied:
"Well, we're still pretty far. It'll probably take over a month if we travel nonstop—but we'll likely need to stop for supplies and proper rest along the way"
Despite the advantages of the Pocket Dimension, nothing could beat a real rest stop in the real world.
Orion saw that Kalifa was somewhat discouraged after hearing his answer, and added:
"Plus, we can buy books and candy along the way."
The girl instantly perked up, grabbed his arm, and urged him to go full speed ahead!
Orion smiled and continued sailing toward Pacific Town.
While Kalifa sat on the edge of the boat to observe the surroundings, Orion took out a Den Den Mushi he had bought before going to the Marine Base to steal the Modo Modo no Mi.
However, he didn't call home immediately. Now that he had left the Grand Line, he could use the Den Den Mushi to contact his family and let them know he was returning safely.
If he had a larger snail at home, he would have been able to communicate even from the Grand Line.
This time, he had bought several Den Den Mushi and stored them in his Pocket Dimension, since they were not inanimate objects and couldn't be stored in the system's inventory. As soon as he got home, he would improve his communications network with these new Den Den Mushi he had purchased in the Grand Line.
Finally, he took out another snail that was completely white and connected it to the regular Den Den Mushi.
This snail was a special species that allowed him to block the black Den Den Mushi, which had the ability to eavesdrop on conversations conducted through these magical snails.
This type of white snail was impossible for the general public to obtain, and only people with a certain status in this world could get them. The snail he possessed had been given to him by Whitey Bay at Orion's request, who, after training in Guanhao, knew of Cipher Pol's terrifying intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Right now, he was a wanted man by this agency under the orders of the World Government, and he didn't want a simple call to endanger his loved ones.
Once everything was ready, Orion called the Den Den Mushi he had left in little Ina's care, hoping that she had been successfully rescued by Giolla and was in Pacific Town with the rest of his family.
Because his hometown was out of the system's identification range, he couldn't determine her location, and even now that he was in the South Blue, it was too far away to know if she was in Pacific Town or not.
The call rang for a few moments, and finally someone answered, saying in a voice filled with hope and longing:
"Hello? Who's speaking?"
Hearing Giolla's voice once more, Orion felt his whole body relax; he finally felt like he was back in the same world as her.
"My love, it's me," Orion said, his voice somewhat hoarse.
On the other end, there was a gasp, and then the sound of someone crying.
Orion quickly said a few words of comfort, and the two people who were a great distance away felt like they were united once again.